denison



(No Modem A s shemqpshe4 1.-

s. P. DENISON.

AUTOGRAPHIG TBLEGRAPH.

Patented April, 1885.

3 sheetsfsheet 2.l

(No Model.) v

S. P. DENISON.

` AUTOGRAPHIG TBLEGRAPH.

No.-315,`391. Patented Apr. "7, 1885.

WlTNESsES- ,INIVENTOR y N'- Mzzfm @www f (No Model.) 3 sheets-sheen s. S. P. DENISON.

AUTOGRAPHIG TELEGBAPH.

Patented Apr. 7, 18485.

20 mi: fix

-a l -T-:z/

@ M @rf f INvENTOl WI'TNESSES 2 UNirEn STATES] PATENT OFIQ sYLvEsTER r. Denison, or New YORK, N. Y., .Assrenon or ONE-HALF' To` l ROBERT D. RADCLIFFE, OF SAME PLACE.

AUTOGRAPHICTELEG'RAPH SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 315,391, dated April f7, 1885. f

Application led Jurle 17, 1884-. (No model# d d 4 l l To @ZZ whom it may concern.- .il

Be it known that I, SYLvnsTEn P; Denison, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of New York, in the State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Autographic or Copying Telegraph Instruments and Circuits, of which the follow' ing is a specification. My invention relates to a new principle and ro arrangement of mechanical forms anddetailsl which I have discovered, invented, and ap' plied to the construction and use of autograph or fac-simile telegraph instruments and cirfl cuits, by which, by using a current into which i 5 constant changes of polarity are introduced without causing breaks in the circuit, writ-i ings or characters'are duplicated at a distant;` Y point through one wire only,wit`hout the need of the presence of a person at the receiving; 2o end, and in which the instruments are run or actuated by electricity alone, without the use; of clock-work, springs, .or weights.. g The objects of'my improvements are to ren-, der autographic telegraphy practicable to thei business and social elements in cities, and; -make the sending of written messages from, one point to another so simple that any person of ordinary intelligence oan send them, and to decrease the cost of transmitting messages 3o from one city to another in ordinary telegraph business by the use of simple automatic 4ina-1 chines without skilled operators, at the same time securing all the advantages resulting2 from the reproduction of the handwriting ofv the original message. I attain these objects by the mechanism and arrangements illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which forml a part hereof, and in which- Figure l is a plan view showing the differ- 4o ent parts of the machine to be seen from the top. Fig. 2 is a view of one side, showing the parts which operate the electrode at the top and a portion of the mechanism which feeds ythe paper through the instrument. Fig. 3 is a view of the other side, showing the magnets and armatures which communicate motion to the feed mechanism. Fig. 4 is a view showing the different parts when seen from the front. Fig. 5 is a vertical section of the ma- 53 chine through the line l 2 in Fig. l, and Fig. 6 is a diagram showing the different circuits parts ofthe machines.

out the several views.

and connections withy the several working i A 55 In the form herein shown and described' the machines are arranged for the use of narrow` continuous stripsgor fillets of paper or its substitute for the transmission and reception of the characters or messages; but the samegen eral devices can be applied to machinesarranged for the use of wider and detached I sheets of paper. p

A (shown only in Figa 5) is a permanent magnet,which slides on the two bars b b, and which, with all the parts iXed toit, can be shifted from one side of the instrument to the by the handle C. to shift the magnet andthe parts attached to it, but to hold it securely in position when so y other by means of the screw B,which is turned The screw B serves not only m,

A, and moving with itwhen it is shifted, is `aM brass plate, D. y

Near the back end of the magnet A, screwed firmly into it, and extending up through the plate D, is a steel post, E, through which passes the steel screw F, which isprovided with the two adjusting-screws c c.

Attached to the screw Fis the electro-mag'- net G. The magnet G is kept in position at 1 its front end by a brass frame, H, fastenedto the plate D. Projections d d on the frame H form a pivot-frame, in which is pivotedth'e armature I on the pivot e.

Fixed to the armature I 1s the arm .Lwhich' is extended by the spring K, carrying at its extremity the electrode L. insulated from the arm J, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5. f j

To the sides of the arm .I are attached two` The spring K is` rebounding springs, f f which, by the vibraj tions ot' the armature I, are brought in cong tact alternately with the screws in the posts g g,which are set in the plate D. The screws in the posts g g are adjustable, so as to, make the contact with the springs ff lighter hard,

as may be required, and regulate the distance of the sweep of "arm J. The object of the springs f f is alsoto assist inthe vibrations fre of the armature I by helping it at theinstant of starting from either side and prevent sticking at the poles. On the underside of the arm J is attached a platinum contact-spring, M, acting as a relay for the feed-magnets U U, and which at cach vibration is brought alternately in contact with the two contact-points h h', which are set in two posts, M', also set in the plate D, but insulated from it and arranged on the under side for connection with the wires of a local battery.

All of the parts above described are attached to the magnet A and move with it when shifted from side to side of the machine.

N N are the side plates of the machine.

Pivoted between the two arms 7c k lis the cylinder` O,having two grooves near each end,

which serve to guide the strips of paper as they are fed through the machine.

m is a wire brush, which maintains a metallic connection continually on the transmitting-strip, and which is placed as vclose as possible without touching the electrode L.

P is a band or belt of suitable material extending from the cylinder O to the feed-drum Q,i'or supporting and carrying the receivingstrip and preventing its being broken by undue tension.

Z is a scraper to separate the receiving-strip from the belt P.

n is a tube containing asponge or other material saturated with the chemical solution with which the receiving-slip is moistened before it passes under the electrode L. The solution is conveyed to the paper by an opening suitably located for the purpose.

R is ashaft extending through the machine, on which is xed the ratchet-wheel S and the two drums Q Q. Pressing against the drum Q is the friction-roller 0, the pressure being established and released by the lever p. By the revolution of the drums Q Q 'and the roller o and the belt P the paper' strips are .i'ed steadily through the machine from'reels on which they are kept wound.

Engaging in the ratchet-wheel S are the pawls r r', which are Operated by the rocking lever s, to which a rocking motion is communicated by the shaft t and the tilting connected armatures T T', when actuated alternately by the two electro-magnets U U. As the pawls r r are thus moved by the rocking lever s they engage alternately in the teeth of the wheel S and cause it and the drums Q Q to revolve step by step.

Connected by the arm u to an' intermediate point on the rocking lever s is an escapement, fu, which by the motion imparted by the arm allows only one tooth of the ratchet to' pass at each movement,and thus prevents irregularity in the feed. The rock-shaft t is also provided with a stout spring, fw, which, playing between the set-screws s s', admits of exact adjustment in the extent of the motion imparted.

The magnets U U are connected by wires through a local battery to the points It h, so that at each vibration of the armature Z and the arm .l alternate contacts are made by the in the machine.

spring M, sending currents through vthe said magnets and causing corresponding vibrations in the connected armatures T T. Wis the line-wire which connects the instrument with the main battery, and with one or more similar instruments at distant points. At the transmitting-machine the current starts from the battery and passes through a suitable pole-changer, which so operates as to throw rapid changes of polarity into the line without breaking the circuit or disturbing it otherwise than by the said rapid changes or pulsations. From the pole-changer the current passes through the electro-magnet G, thence to the electrode L, thence through the transmitting-paper to the brush m, and from thence to the line W. At the receiving-machine the current enters and passes through the magnet G, thence to a relay, and from there to ground, unless there are more than two instruments in circuit, in which case the current is taken through the relay-magnet to the next instrument and then to ground.

Having thus described the different parts of my machine, its operation is as follows, and for the purpose of making this explanation more easily understood the case of only two machines being placed in circuit will be taken: Two machines, being constructed exactly similar to cach other, and with all the parts as above described, care being taken to have the 'similar poles of the permanent magnet A- similarly located in each, are set up at distant points and connected by the line WV, whichin its course passes through the main battery and through a suitable pole-changer, as described. At the instrument from which the message is to be transmitted the magnet A, with all the parts as above described, is shifted along the bars b b by means ot' the screw B and the handle C until the electrode L rests over the transmitting-strip and the electrode L is adjusted to a light contact upon its upper surface. At the receiving instrument the electrode is adj usted in a similar manner over the receiving-strip. The characters or mes- IIO sage to be transmitted are written upon the I transmitting-strip previous to its beingplaced If a strip is used with a nonconductive surface, the writing must be with a conductive ink, or, if the strip has a' conductive surface, non-conductive` ink must be used. The receiving-strip is moistened, either before being placed in the machine or during its passage through it, by means of thesponge inthe tube n,- or the sponge may be preferably used to regulate the moisture to a proper degree with any solutions easily decomposed by electrolysis. The lever p in the transmittinginstrument is then pressed downward, bringing the roller o up to the drum Q, gripping the strip firmly, so that it will be fed through the machine as the drum is made to revolve. When the machines have thus been adjusted and the strips prepared, the circuit on the line Wis closed, and at the same time the pole changer is set in motion by closing a key suit- `315,391 aan ably arranged for the purpose, but not necessary to be shown here. Then at each vibration of the current in the line W the armatures I of both machines Willoscillate on the pivots e, carrying the arms J, thespringextensions K, and the electrodes L, causing the latter to vibrate .over the surface of the strip with which it is in Contact in exact accordance with the vibrations in the line caused by the pole-changer; and 1t is evident that as the same vibrations govern vbothV machines, the oscillations of the armatures'and electrodes must be synchronous. At each vibration of the arm J in both machines the contact-spring M is brought alternately in contact with the points h andh, and

successively close and open the current from a local battery through the electro-magnets U and U', causing the tilting connected armatures T T to move in exact unison with' the arm J. Atv each movement ot' T T a corre spending rocking motion isrconveyed to the rocking lever s, and from it to the pawls r ry and the escapement-lever o.

gaging in the ratchet-wheel S cause it to revolve one tooth or step at a time, and by the Vshaft R this revolving motion is conveyed to the drums Q Q', and by their revolutions the strips in the two machines are fed. The move ment of the paper is a step-by-step one, each movement taking place exactly at the instant the electrode'has reachedthe farthest points onV each side ofthe center of the respective strips.

By this means the motion ot' the paper in each machine is made exactly synchronous, and as the power necessary to drive the feed mechanism is supplied by a local battery the line# current is not thereby taxed.

In practice it Will be found that a verylight current Will serve to operate the machines;4

but if from an extreme length of the line or leakage on the wire it is deemed too great a .tax on the line'current to move the springarm K and the electrode L across the entire width of the paper, another local battery can be introduced for that purpose, and the machines provided with an additional vibrating apparatus similar to the parts above described as connected withV the permanent .magnet A, without the extension-spring K and electrode L, which, set to vibrate very lightly, can be used to relay the vibrations into the main machine, driven by a local battery of sufficient power necessary to obtain the results desired. 1

As in all operations of the machines thus far described nothing but the pulsations in the line have been utilized to secure such operation, andthe line has remained closed, it can be seen that any makes and breaks caused by the electrode of the transmitting-instrument coming in contact with the ink on the strip passing under it willtravel along the line and be recorded at the receiving end by electrolysis and identically located. It will be observed that the impulses created by the contact of the electrode with the ink all oc VZ is the ground.

but very few are sent along ,the line before is cleared by the next vibration, and owing to .this cause great perfection in the work is attained.

To secure good work at the recordlng-lnstrument, I prefer, instead of carrying the line 1 directly to the receiving electrode, to intro"- duce a relay and use, for the purpose ot' re- Ul.A

cording, another local battery adapted in" strength and tension to the solution used on This can be done with excellent effect, but as it is not necessary,

the receiving-paper.

and as the use of relays is common in teleg` raphy, it does not need full description.

Vhen aV message has thus been sent and re` corded from one machine to the other. by

shifting the magnets A and the parts attached to them along the bars b b, the operation of the instruments will be reversed, and the ref ceiver will be read y to transmit, and that which formerly transmitted will be ready to receive, messages in the direction opposite to the rst.

The following is an explanation of the optransmitting and receiving instruments and l the line, as shown in Fig. 6:

K is the sendinginstrument,Y the receiver,

and IV the line. Starting at the transmitter,-

The current from there follows the dash-and-dotline to the arm ofthe switch marked .1, thence through the buttoni 2, thence to the drum O,through the paper to the electrode L and Vspring K, thence along the same line to the point 7, from whence it roo t passes through the electro-magnet G, from t thence to 8, thence to 9, thence to two contactpoints of the pole-changer 10, thence tothe main battery 12, thence to 13, thence `through changer to 14, thence to 15, then to button 3- and switch-arn1 5, to the line W. At the receiving instrument the current enters at switch-arm 5, runs through it to button 6,

thence to 7, thence through the electromagnet G, thence to 8, thence through the helix ofthe relay 16, thence to 17, thence to 18, thence to` button 4,-to the switch-arial, and thence to the ground Z. In its passage through the helix of the relay 16 the breaks in the line caused by the contact of the electrode with the writing in the transmitter operate the armature 19 and close the contact-points 20 inthe circuit of the local battery 21. The course of the current in this local circuit is as follows:

from the proper pole of the battery 21 to the armature 19, thence through the contact-points 2O to the switch 22, (which at the receiver is closed,) thence to 23, thence to 24, thence `to eration of the different circuits through the 1o5`4 the remaining contact-points of the pole- 25` the insulated arm K, thence through the elec-3 tro'de L and the receiving-paper to the cylintlon being made from the magnet U to the contact-point 7L, and from U to the contact-point lz', so that as the arm J vibrates the current is alternately closed through each of the magnets U U', as has been already explained.

At the transmitti 11g-station, when the instrumentis operated, the local battery 2l and its circuit are not used,the switch 22 being opened while sending; nor at the receiving-station is the pole-changer used, as one pole-changer is sufficient to regulate bot-h instruments. OW- ing to these facts,it is designed to use the battery 2l at the transmitting-station to operate the pole-changer l0 by means of a light electro-motor, thus utilizing the said battery when 1t would otherwise be unnecessary. This is done by another switch; but as the pole-chang er forms no part of the machine itself, and may be operated by any other motor or current, it 1s' not shown here.

When the instruments are reversed, and Y ,is used as the transmitter and X as the receiver, the operation of the current from the maln battery is the same as already described, except that the positions of the switcharms l and 5 are reversed in regard to the buttons 2, 4, 3, and 6, and the switch 22 is opened at Y and closed at X.

I am aware that prior to my invention autograph telegmph-instruments have been invented in which the electrodes are made to vibrate across the surface of strips or fillets of paper on which the message or characters have been written, or on which they are to be recorded; but in such cases the movement in one direction only is produced by lelectro-magnetic action, and that in the other by a retractingspring, while in my own the action in both directions is magnetic and positive. I am also aware that other inventions have been made in which a polechanger has been used to secure synchronism between the parts of two distant machines; but in such cases the changes of polarity are not effected in a closed circuit, and the resulting movements have only been applied to the regulating of clock-work, by which the main portion of the instruments are operated, and two line-wires are requiredone for securing synchronous action and one to carry the transmitting-impulses. Therefore I do not claim such combinations, broadly; but

What I do claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. An automatic autographic telegraph-iu strument having the operating stylus or electrode attached to the armature of an electromagnet fixed to one pole of a permanent magnet, and vibrating over the surface of the substance on which the message is written or is to be recorded, said electro-magnet placed in the main line and actuated by certain changes of polarity introduced into the current on said line, substantially as set forth.

2. The operating stylus or electrode L, its arm K, the armature I of an electro-magnet in the main line, `said magnet being fixed to one pole of a permanent magnet, in combination with means for reversing the polarity of the current, substantially as set forth.

3. The vibrating stylus or electrode attached to the armature of an electro-magnet fixed to one pole of the permanent magnet, both the stylus and electro-magnet being in the mainline circuit, in combination with means for reversing the polarity 0f the current, whereby the changes of polarity actuate the magnet and the circuit is preserved for the transmission of the message-impulses, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of the following parts: means for reversing the polarity of the current of the main line, an electro-magnet fixed to one pole of a permanent magnet, an armature, I, with its arm J and contact-spring M, and the relay-points t h', by which the feed mechanism is actuated and broughtinto exact unison with the changes of polarity on the line and the vibrations of the operating electrode or stylus, substantially as described.

5. The combination of the electro-magnets U U with the contact-points h h and the contact-spring M on the arm J, operated independent] y of said electro-magnets, by which the said magnets are alternately energized and a tilting motion given to the connected armatures T T, substantially as described.

6. The combination of the mechanism for feeding the paper under the electrode, consisting of the electromagnets U U, the tilting connected armatures T T, the shaft t, the rocking lever s, the pawls 1 r', the connecting-rod u, the escapement c, the ratchet-wheel S, the drums Q Q, the friction-roller o, and the belt P, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination of means for reversing the polarity of the main-line current, the feed mechanism, the relay-points 7L It', the contactspring M, the armature I, and the electromagnet fixed to one pole of a permanent magnet, with the operating stylus or electrode, both the said stylus and electro-magnet being in the main-line circuit, whereby the operation and synchronism of all parts are produced and maintained, and at the same time the circuit of the line is preserved for the transmission of the impulses caused by the Contact of the transmitting-electrode with the ink of the written message, substantially as herein lset forth.

8. The combination of the parts operating the stylus or electrode and the feed mechanism with the cylinder O, the slide-bars b b', and the screw B, by means of which the electrode may be shifted from opposite the center of the transmitting-strip to that of the receiving-strip, and the machine thus converted into either a transmitter or receiver, as desired, substantially as set forth.

sYLvnsrnR r. Denison.

Witnesses:

AUG. T. GILLENDER, J. RENWICK CAMPBELL. 

